Country Fare

What Country Fare does

Country Fare is an independent, family-run foodservice distributor headquartered at Magna House, 103 Provence Drive, Bearwood, Bournemouth, United Kingdom. The company supplies fresh produce, bakery, prepared, dairy, frozen, dry, and non-food products to professional catering customers — including restaurants, cafés and pubs, care homes, schools and universities, hotels and accommodation providers, leisure venues, and workplace catering operations. Its stated positioning is to be "large enough to demand good prices in the markets, small enough to care," with an emphasis on local sourcing from Dorset and Hampshire growers alongside specialty and exotic produce sourced from country of origin.

Operationally, Country Fare runs a six-day delivery service using its own fleet of ambient and chilled vans across a defined catchment covering Lymington, Salisbury, Shaftesbury, Dorchester, Weymouth and surrounding areas. Orders are accepted by telephone (01202 574999) and through an online ordering portal at cforders.co.uk. The company complements distribution with an experiential ecosystem: an annual Fresh Thinking Trade Show featuring 70-80 suppliers, chef demonstrations, supplier farm and vineyard visits, and a monthly promotional magazine distributed to customers.

The business model is a transaction-fee B2B foodservice distribution model with quote-based pricing negotiated per customer and order volume. There is no public revenue disclosure, no funding history, no M&A activity, and no disclosed equity ownership structure beyond the family-run characterization. Headcount is stated at 51-100 employees, the company is privately held, and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom.

Name

Country Fare

Legal name

Country Fare

Website

https://countryfare.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Country Fare is a UK-based, family-run foodservice distributor based in Bournemouth supplying fresh produce, bakery, dairy, frozen, dry, and non-food products to catering customers across Dorset and Hampshire via its own chilled delivery fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bournemouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Distribution: Country Fare generates revenue through the distribution and sale of fresh produce, bakery, dairy, frozen goods, dry goods, and non-food items to professional catering businesses. They operate as a B2B foodservice supplier with direct delivery to customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Country Fare is an independent family-run foodservice distributor that supplies fresh produce, bakery, prepared, dairy, frozen, dry goods, and non-food items to professional catering businesses in Dorset and Hampshire. The company operates its own fleet of ambient and chilled vans to provide six-day direct delivery, supported by telephone and online ordering channels.

Product overview

Country Fare is an independent family-run fresh produce supplier operating in Dorset and Hampshire, serving the catering industry with a comprehensive range of food and non-food products. The company offers seven core product categories: Fresh Produce (fruits, vegetables from local and exotic sources), Bakery, Prepared Foods, Dairy, Frozen Goods, Dry Goods (spices, oils, canned goods, snacks, baking supplies), and Non-Food Products (cleaning supplies, disposables, equipment). They operate a six-day delivery service with ambient and chilled vehicles, supplying restaurants, cafes, catering services, education, care sectors, hotels, and leisure businesses. The company emphasizes local sourcing and seasonal produce while maintaining an extensive range from specialty and mainstream suppliers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Produce
• Bakery Products Breads and baked goods supplied to the catering industry for professional kitchens.
• Prepared Foods Ready-to-use prepared food items for catering establishments, designed to reduce kitchen prep time.
• Dairy Products Dairy produce supplied to the foodservice industry for professional kitchens.
• Frozen Goods Frozen food products for extended storage and catering needs, including items such as the Diggers range of handheld pizzas, crispy coated fish, and chicken favourites.
• Dry Goods Dry pantry staples including spices, oils, vinegars, canned goods, cereals, snacks, and baking supplies. Extensive range from brands including Wilton, Belazu, Kellogg's, Doves Farm, and many specialty suppliers.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Padgetts (Wiltshire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal produce supplier providing fresh vegetables including Bunched Rainbow Carrots. Partnership supports Country Fare's commitment to sourcing from great British growers and providing seasonal, local produce to customers.
• New Forest Fruit CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal strawberry supplier featured in annual Strawberry Day events. Partnership enables farm visits and direct engagement with customers about local produce sourcing.
• Koppert CressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialty produce supplier featured in experiential events for customers to discover innovative ingredients and culinary trends.
• Louis Pommery EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish vineyard partnership for customer experience events, providing educational vineyard visits and showcasing English wine production.
• Mark TillingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster Chocolate Maker conducting live chocolate demonstrations for customers, providing culinary education and engagement opportunities.
• BrescminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of salsas, purées, and chutneys providing chef-quality flavor solutions with zero prep for busy kitchens.
• DiggersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium prepared foods brand (handheld pizzas, crispy coated fish, innovative chicken favourites) distributed through Country Fare to catering customers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hopwells: Midlands-based regional foodservice distributor supplying restaurants, pubs, hotels and care homes with fresh, frozen, ambient and non-food lines from regional depots. Direct regional-peer comparable to Country Fare in scale, product breadth and customer verticals.
• Total Foodservice: UK regional foodservice distributor serving caterers, restaurants and care homes with multi-category fresh, frozen, ambient and non-food ranges from regional depots. Closely comparable B2B broad-line foodservice wholesaler to Country Fare, similar in size and operating model.
• Creed Foodservice: Independent UK foodservice distributor supplying fresh, frozen, ambient and non-food products to caterers, care homes, schools and hospitality operators across multiple regions. Same broad-line B2B foodservice wholesale proposition and customer mix as Country Fare, with a comparable family-run heritage and regional depot strategy.
• JJ Foodservice: UK multi-category foodservice distributor supplying fresh, frozen, ambient, non-food and catering equipment to restaurants, takeaways and caterers via regional depots and an online ordering platform. Closely mirrors Country Fare's broad-line range, mixed customer base and depot-led delivery model.
• Reynolds Catering Supplies: UK regional foodservice distributor supplying fresh produce, dairy, frozen, ambient and non-food products to restaurants, hotels, schools and care homes. Comparable multi-category B2B foodservice distribution proposition to Country Fare with overlapping customer mix.

Broad incumbents

• Bidfood: UK's largest foodservice distributor (Bidcorp subsidiary) supplying fresh, frozen, ambient and non-food to caterers, restaurants and care homes nationwide. Same broad-line B2B foodservice wholesale model as Country Fare, but at national scale — the most direct head-to-head competitor for larger accounts in Dorset and Hampshire.
• Booker Wholesale: Tesco-owned UK cash-and-carry and foodservice wholesaler serving caterers, pubs, restaurants and smaller retailers with a broad grocery, fresh, frozen and non-food range. Directly comparable broad-line foodservice distribution proposition to Country Fare, with much greater scale and a national depot network.
• Brakes Group: Major UK foodservice distributor owned by Sysco, supplying fresh, frozen, ambient and non-food products to restaurants, pubs, hotels, healthcare and education. Same multi-category B2B foodservice distribution model as Country Fare, with overlapping customer verticals (restaurants, hotels, care, education).

Regional players

• Castell Howell: Welsh regional foodservice distributor serving hotels, restaurants, schools and care homes with fresh, frozen and ambient products from a regional depot network. Comparable broad-line foodservice model and customer verticals to Country Fare, but operates in Wales rather than southern England.
• Harlech Foodservice: Welsh regional foodservice distributor serving restaurants, hotels, schools and care homes with multi-category fresh, frozen, ambient and non-food lines. Comparable broad-line foodservice distribution model and customer verticals to Country Fare, but operating in a different UK region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ftdorset
• Xx.com/ftdorset
• Facebookfacebook.com/Country-Fare-Foodservice-61566310904087
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/country-fare-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Country Fare